Permutation lock



Nov. 20, 1934. M. Z 1,981,408

PERMUTATION LOCK Filed June 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I [fulfilm-INN-ll".

Nov. 20, 1934. M. ZUlLl PERMUTATION LOCK 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 21,1952 m m m m w m m Nov. 20, 1934, M. ZUlLI 1,981,408

PERMUTATION LOCK Filed June 21, v1932 5 Sheets-Sh'ei -4- N v. 2 1934. M.ZUlLl 1,981,408

PERMUTATI-ON LOCK Filed June 21, 1932 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov.20, 1934 UNITED STATES PERMUTATION LOCK Maurice Zuili, Paris, FranceApplication June 21, 1932, Serial No. 618,513. In Great Britain andFrance April 16, 1932 11 Claims.

The present invention relates to permutation locks and has for itsprimary object to provide a lock of this kind constituting an improvedstructure with respect to the permutation lock described in myco-pending application No. 510,- 822, filed Jan. 23, 1931 theimprovements mainly consisting in a device incorporated in the lockmechanism for automatically returning the buttons to aligned position assoon as the studcatches have been disengaged from the lock casing andthus for preventing any person not conversant with the combination fromdiscovering or guessing it from the location of certain buttons when thelock is in the open position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a permutation look asaforesaid wherein the stud-catches engaging through the lock casing arerigidly fitted upon a cover or hood matching the shape or outline ofsaid casing, the

- one part of the article to be locked, for instance the body of aportfolio or satchel, being permanently secured to the lock casing or tothe cover whereas the other part of said article, for instance the flapof the portfolio or satchel, is

- permanently secured to the cover or to the cas ing of the lock,whereby when said casing and cover are locked in close superimposedrelation the two parts of the article in question are looked closelyadjacent to each other and access can not be had into the article, whichprecludes pilfering or other tampering of its contents.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a permutation lockas aforesaid wherein the mutual engagement of the locking members: boltsand keeper apertures which are specifically in the form of buttonextensions and of indentations or notches respectively, said notchesbeing formed in a tumbler plate or looking plate, is adapted to preventany person not conversant with the combination of the look from pickingthe buttons for haphazard discovering the secret of the look i. e.finding the particular buttons which require to be displaced in theirslots for opening the lock and severing the two parts of the article,such for instance as a portfolio or satchel.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a permutation lockas aforesaid wherein the arrangement of its internal parts with respectto the buttons and stud-catches is adapted to prevent any person notconversant with the combination who tries to pick the lock fromdiscovering the particular buttons Which require to be displaced fornormally opening it by tactually feeling differences in the resistancesoffered to displacement by said buttons when the cover is being pulledfrom the lock casing, said arrangement of parts having the effect ofrenderg ing said resistances-uniform for all the buttons regardless oftheir location.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a permutation lookas aforesaid of simple and rugged construction, made up of a minimumnumber of parts capable of being made of stamped or punched steel sheetsand readily assembled with limited cost and labor, said lock beingcompact and self-contained and therefore of smart appearance.

With these and such other objects in view as will incidentallyappear'hereinafter, the invention comprises morespecifically the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts that will now be described indetail with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings forminga part of the present disclosure and showing a permutation lockexemplifying the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the, lock, the left hand side ofthis view being taken, assuming the cover to be applied over the lockcasing in closed position, whereas the right hand side of this view istaken, assuming the cover to have been omitted.

Figure 2 is an edge view, partly in section, showing on the left handside, the lock casing riveted to a part-of the article to be locked,designated by A, and on the right hand sidethe cover riveted to thecompanion part of the article designated by B, and carrying thestud-catches. i

Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the lock, casing, assuming the baseplate to be omitted and the tumbler plate to be partly broken away forthe sake of clearer illustration, four buttons only being shown, thesebuttons being adjusted in different positions.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line IVIV (Fig. 3).

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line V-V (Fig. 3) the arrow showingthe direction of displacement of the buttons.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line VI-VI (Fig. 3). p

Figure 7 is a sectional view. on the line VII- VII (Fig. 3). t

Figure 8 is a fragmentary front View of the flanged lock casing, thedotted lines showing the indented plate which can be shifted 1ongi--tudinally for changing the combination of the lock by permuting orchanging the key buttons, the teeth between the indentations being shownin the position which they occupy for retaining the buttons in thecasing.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but assuming the indents of theindented permutation plate to occupy the position for freeing thebuttons from the casing.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are fragmentaryviews illustrating in a verydiagrammatic way the cooperation of the cam surfaces on the studcatchesand spring-influenced indented tumbler plate.

Figure 13 is a plan View of the base plate pivotally carrying aspring-rocked shutter-and having abutments for thespringsthat influencethe tumbler plate.

Figure 14 is a sectional view on the 1ine XIV XIV (Fig. 13), the upperarrow showing the direction in which the shutter is rocked by its springwhile the lower arrow shows the direotion in "which it is rocked backagainst the action of, said spring by the co-operating cam surfaces onthe stud-catches.

Figure is a fragmentary edge view showing on an enlarged scale theengagement of the shutter against the longer lug of a button representedin dot-and-da'sh lines before said shutter has been rocked off by thestud-catch.

Figure 16 is a fragmentary ViQW similar to Figure 15 but showing theshutterrocked off said button lug by the action of the stud-catch.Figure 17 is a transverse sectional view drawn on the same scale asFigures 15 and 16 of the lock, casing, showing the yieldingly-supportedbuttons and a slightlymodified arrangement ofparts adapted to preventthe lock combination from being surreptitiously discovered by displacingthe buttons one after the other while pulling bler plate, the coverbeing sli htl the lock casing. g yispacerd from Likereferencenumeralsand characters desig nate like parts throughout the several views of'the drawings.

As illustrated the lock casing l of elon I t V gated trough-like shapehas a peripheral flange, 2 'by means of which it may be permanentlysecured by rivets 3 or'oth'erwise to one of the two parts of the artlcleto be locked, for example to the mbody A of a portfolio or'satchel. Thelock casmg 1 is formed in one of its walls with a series of parallelequally-sized aligned'slots 4.

-A cover 5 having a peripheral'flange G is permanently secured to theother part of the article 1 to be locked, .for example'to the flap B ofthe portfolio orsatohel by means of rivets 7 or otherwise. The cover 5is so sized and shaped as to fit over the casing 1 in closesuperimposition, and it is formed in its bottom wall with a series ofslots 8 which correspond in size and location to the slots 4 so thatwhen the casing 1 and cover 5 are superimposed the "slots 4 and Bregister.

Th'e'slots '4 and 8 are thereforein equal number, preferably eight" toten" for accommodating a similar numberof buttons and; allowingof abutton 9lprotrudesjout of the casing 1 beyond the "slot l -and' isadvantageously knurled or otherwise roughened for permitting an easiergrip, and the heads of all the buttons 9 are equaliy s ized and ofsimilar appearance.

- The portion of each button 9 which extends sits the casing 1 is formed(see Fig. 17) with a pair oi? symmetrical side ears 10, 11 and with apair of lugs 12, 13extending at right angles to said ears, these lugsbeing of unequal length, the longer lug 12 being adapted to form alocking bolt as will appear hereafter. The lugs 12, 13 are separatedfrom one another by a clearance Inside the lock casing 1 and adjacentits slotted wall is located a plate 15 having a length slightly lessthan the internal length of the casing to be longitudinally shiftabletherein. This plate 15 has a central aperture 16 (see Figs. 8 and 9)each of the longitudinal edges of which is indented; The indentations ornotches 17 on one side of the aperture 16 are advantageously deeper thanthe indentations or notches 18 on its other side. The widths of theindentations 17, 18 and intermediate teeth 19,20 are so reckoned thatwhen the plate 15 is at one end of its longi tudina'l stroke (SeeFig. 8)the slots 4 coincide with the teeth 19, 20 whereas when the plate 15 ris at the other end of its stroke (Fig. 9) the slots 4 coincide with theindentations 17, 18. I It will thus be seen that the indented plate 15holds'the buttons 9 engaged by their side ears 10, 11 in the casing lwhen the teeth 19, 20 reg ister with said ears whereas the indentedplate 15 frees the buttons 9 from the casing 1 when the indentations 17,18 register with the ears 10,

Thus by simply shifting the plate 15 longitudinally from an end positionto the opposite end position, the buttons9 may be disengaged from thelockcasing 1 or held engaged therein seoure 1y. For permitting to shiftthe plate 15 for this purpose, the lock casing 1 has an elongatedhole 21and the plate 15 a registeringsmaller hole 22, whereby by inserting anail or other'sharp tool (not shown) into the holes 21, 22 the plate 15may be shifted from the position shown in Figures to the positionshownin Figure 9 or vice versa. This shifting motion of the plate 15 is onlypermissible when the lock is opened i. e; when the cover 5 is separatedfrom the casing 1 since'no hole'similar to the hole 21 is formed in said"cover. This; prevents any tampering of the lock when it is in closedposition. Adjacent the permutation plate 15 is 'positioned a permutationplate 23 so sized as to fit into the casing 1 and provided with acentral aperture 24 the side edges of which have indentations 25 formingguides for "the button lugs 12,13 to prevent sidewise collapsing of saidlugs uponmovement thereof in slots 4.

The permutation plate 15'and'the guiding plate-23 maybe formed as shownin Figs. 4-4

distance from the edges of -the-p1ate 23,- the said edges contactingwith the side walls of the casing l. The purpose of the clearance leftbetween the flanges 15 on the plate 15 and the plate 23 will bedescribed hereafter.

Against that face of the crenellated plate 23 opposite to the facedirected towards the permutation plate 15 rests a tumbler plate 26formed with a central aperture 27, end apertures 28 separated from theaperture 27 by cross bars 29 adapted to act as cam surfaces as will behereinafter described. The longitudinal edges of the aperture 2'7 isformed with notches 30 which diner in depth from one edge to the other.The notches 30 are spaced to an extent corresponding to the distancebetween the buttons 9 and are adapted to form keepers for their boltlikelugs 12, as will be described hereafter. The length of the tumbler plate26 is so reckoned as to permit it to move longitudinally in the casingl. The shape of the keeper notches 30 is preferably trapezoidal as shownin Fig. 3.

The tumbler plate 26 is held in the casing l by a flanged base plate 31fitted into the open end of said casing. This base plate (see Fig. 13)is punched or stamped to form holes 32 and bearings 33 for a pivotspindle 34 which carries an elongated shutter 35 the length of whichapproximates the distance from the first button to the last button ofthe row of buttons 9. This shutter 35 is influenced permanently by a primary spring 37 coiled around the spindle 34 and is provided with end camsurfaces 36 of arcuate shape. The width or height of the shutter 35 issuch as to enable it to permanently project into the clearance 14between the button lugs 12, 13 for a purpose that will appear hereafter.

Coil springs 38 forming secondary spring means are fastened to the baseplate 31 and to the tumbler plate 26, the latter is supported solely bysaid springs, which gives its longitudinal displacements in the lockcasing l a certain amount of resiliency, as shown by the dot-anddashline in Figure 11.

The cover 5 is fitted on its face engaging the slotted face of thecasing l and on both ends of the row of slots 8 with a stud-catch 39 thefree end of which is formed with a coned protuberance 10 adapted to actas a cam surface and to co-operate with cam surfaces on the tumblerplate 26 and with the cam surfaces 36 of the shutter or rocker 35. Tothat eifect, the length of the stud-catches 39 is so reckoned that whenthe cover 5 fits over the casing 1 and said catches engage through ports41 formed in the slotted wall of said casing, the coned cam surfacesoccupy a position beyond the tumbler plate 26 or in other words in theclearance left between said plate 28 and the base plate 31.

Straddling-the portion of each button 9 which projects into the lockcasing 1 is a V-shaped or bridge-like blade spring 42 so cut out as toaccommodate the side ears 10, ll of the button and resting by the endsof its diverging legs on the guiding plate 23. The springs 42 preventaccidental shifting of the buttons 9 and incidentally hold the side ears10, 11 in contact with plate 15.

The operation of the improved permutation lock is as follows:

Assuming the lock to be in closed position that is to say assuming thecover 5 to be fitted over the casing 1 which means that the buttons 9project out of the slots 8, it will be understood that the stud-catches39 which then engage through the ports 41 of the casing l occupy theposition shown in Figure 18, their coned cam surfaces 40 being situatedbeyond the tumbler plate 26. These cam surfaces 40 then engage theco-operating cam surfaces 36 of the shutter 35 and thus hold the latterin the position shown in Figure 16 against the action of the spring 37coiled around the pivot spindle 34. As a result of this, the freelongitudinal edge of the shutter 35 allows the buttons 9 to be freelydisplaced along the slots 4, 3. t This permits the user to displace theparticular buttons which have been previously adjusted to form thecombination of the lock or in other terms those buttons whose lug orbolt 12 engages a keeper notch 30 in the tumbler plate 26 when saidbuttons are aligned relative to the remaining buttons. One or sev eralbuttons may have been adjusted in that way before-hand depending on thecombination to be obtained. When thus the adjusted buttons 9 have beendisplaced along the respective slots that is to say disaligned, theirlugs or bolts 12 have freed the corresponding keeper notches 30 in thetumbler plate. pulled on the casing 1, the cam surfaces 40 on thestud-catches 39 engage the cross bars 29 of the tumbler plate 25 againstthe action of the springs 33 and shift said plate momentarily as shownby the upper arrow in Figure 3. Thus the stud-catches 39 can bedisengaged from the casing 1 and the part B of the article can besevered from the companion part A. Immedi ately after, the tumbler plate26 is returned to locking position by its springs 33 as shown by thelower arrow in Figure 3.

However, as soon as the stud-catches 39 have been withdrawn from thecasing 1 as above-de scribed, their cam surfaces no longer hold theshutter 35 whereby the latter rocks back under the action of its spring37 and engages the button lugs, which automatically aligns all buttons9. This means that as soon as the lock is opened, all buttons, whetheradjusted to build the combination or not, are automatically re-aligned'The instantaneous resumption of the button alignment makes it impossiblefor anyone not conversant with the combination to guess the latter by aninspection of the buttons.

When new the lock has to be brought back to closed position by fittingthe cover 5 over the casing 1 and thrusting the stud-catches through theports 41, the tumbler plate 26 although locked by its springs 38 canyield downwardly and rearwardly to a slight extent into the clearancebetween it and the base plate 31. This yieldingmotion is clearlyillustrated by the arrows in Figures 10, 11, 12 which'sh'ow thecooperation of the coned cam surfaces 40 on the stud-catches 39 and thecross bars 29 on the tumbler plate 26 elastically supported by thesprings 38. Once the'stud-catches 39are fully driven into the casing,the lock is' invariablyclosed and can not be re-opened except by'disaligning the proper buttons as above stated.

Assuming now wrong buttons or dummy buttons to be displaced along theslots 4, 3, it will be understood that this will bring the correspondingbolts or lugs 12 into more keeper. notches 30 of the tumbler plate 26and will render the opening of the lock impossible even if the properbuttons are afterwards disaligned. Thus disalignment of more buttonsthan is necessary for opening the lock has the result of ad-' ditionallylocking it and or" still further'puzzling the person who endeavors totamper with or pick it.

If now the cover 5 is Forchanging the combination of the lock or inotherwords for altering those buttons whose bolts 12 engage keeper notches ofthe tumbler.

plate 26 when said buttons are aligned relative to the remainingbuttons, all that is necessary, after having opened the look asaforesaid is to insert a nail or other sharp tool (not shown) into thecoincident holes 21, 22 in order to shift the permutation plate 15 forfreeing the button ears 10, 11. The buttons 9 can then be extracted fromthe casing 1 and adjusted by a rotation of 180 upon themselves. It thuspossible to change the buttons whose bolts 12 engage keeper notches 30of the tumbler plate 26 when said buttons are aligned. To look back theears of the buttons, after this new adjustment, all that is necessary isto shift back the permutation plate 15 into a posit-ion for 20 engagethe button ears 10, 11.

Should a person not conversant with the combination of the lock that isto say not knowing which are the buttons to be displaced in the slots 4,8 in order to separate the cover 5 from the casing 1 endeavor to pickthe lock by laci the buttons 9 haphazard while exerting a tractionalstress on the cover 5 with respect to the casing 1 held stationary, itwill be-understood from Figure 19 that this endeavor will cause theguiding plate 23 to press uniformly I on all button ears 10, 11 againstthe action 01' the V-shaped blade springs 42; As a result of this, theperson in question will not be given tactually any clue to theparticular buttons which require to be displaced to open the lock.

Additional security against such an endeavor to tamper with or pick thelock is also given by shaping the keeper notches 300i the tumbler plate26 trapezoidally as shown in Fig 3. As

will be understood, the bolts 12 of the buttons 9 only engage with theedge of the keeper I notches by one sharp edge so that theirdisplacement is quite easy' and there is no risk of a slightlongitudinal motion of the tumbler plate H 26 under the traction of thestud-catches 39 by 'an unauthorized person interfering with the properdisplacement'of the'bolts 12 of the adjusted buttons. Thus the persontryingto tam par with the lock" can not obtain information in that Wayas regards the right buttons Whic 'require to be operated to open thelook.

It will be appreciated that the improved permutation lock as abovedescribed can be applied for miscellaneous uses, wherever two parts ormembers require to besecurely locked together "without a key.

Numerous minor constructional details of the lock might be alteredwithout departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of thesubjoined claims.

180 for changing the relative positions of their bolts to form a newcombination, and a tumbler plate in the casing co-operating with thebutton bolts.

which its teeth 19,

' the tumbler plate. g 6. A permutation lock comprising a ported so asto permit selected buttons to be extracted from and re-inserted into thecasing after a rotation of 180 for changing the relative positions oftheir bolts'to form a new combination, and a tumbler plate in the casingco-operating with the button bolts. 1

3. A permutation lock comprising a ported casing having aligned slots,buttons movable along the respective slots, each button projectingout ofthe casing, an internal bolt offset on each button fromitscentraadjustable meansholding theflbuttons engaged in the casing inone position and releasing them in another position so as to permitselected buttons to be extracted from and re-inserted' into the casingafter a rotationof 180for changing the relative positions of their boltsto form a new combination, a slotted cover fitting over the casing andhaving catches insertable through the casing ports, and a spring-urgedtumbler plate'movable in the casing and co-operating with the bolts forlocking said catches.

4. A permutation lock comprising a ported casing having aligned slots,buttons movable along the respective slots, each button having a headprojecting out of the casing, symmetrical ears and a tail-like boltoffset from its centre,

the ears and bolt of each button extending into the casing and beingco-planar with the head, an adjustable indented plate co-operating withthe button ears to retain them in the casing in one positionand to freethem in another'po-' sition so as to permit selected buttons to beextracted from and re-inserted into the casing after a rotation of 180changing the relative positions of their bolts to form a newcombination, a slotted cover fitting over the casing and having catchesinsert able into the c'asing-ports, and a spring-urgedtumbler platemovable in the casing at an angle to the buttons and co-operating'withthe bolts for locking said catches.

5. A permutation lock comprising a ported casing having aligned slots,buttons. movable along the respective slots, eachbutton projecting outof the casing and having an inner bolt offset from its centre,adjustable means holding the buttons engaged in the casing in oneposition andrele'asing them in another position,-a slotted cover fittingover the casing and having catches insertable into the casing ports, aspring-urged tumbler plate movable in the casing at an angle to thebuttons and engageable by the bolts for locking said catches, and aspringurged rocker holding the buttons aligned when the catches arereleased from the tumbler plate and said catches While permittingdisalignment of the buttons when the catches are locked by casing havingaligned slots, movable buttons in the respective slots, each buttonhaving a head projecting out of the casing, symmetrical ears and a boltoffset from its centre, the ears and n 1: gri ndinen ni t e Q$ineandbeins cqa upon themselves for rec planar with the head, anindented plate adjustable from without the casing and co-operating withthe button ears to retain them in one adjusted position and to releasethem in another adjusted position, a cover fitting over the casing andhaving slots receiving the button heads, catches on said coverinsertable into the ports of the casing, a spring-urged tumbler platemovable in the casing at an angle to the buttons and having notchesengageable by the bolts for looking said catches, and a spring-urgedrocker holding the buttons aligned when the catches are unlocked by thetumbler plate and are released from said rocker while permittingdisalignment of the buttons when the catches are locked by the tumblerplate.

7. A permutation lock comprising a ported casing having aligned slots,buttons movable along the respective slots and having bolts extendinginto the casing, means for retaining the buttons adjustably in thecasing, a cover fitting over the casing and having slots coincident withthe buttons, catches on said cover insertable into the ports of thecasing, a spring-urged tumbler plate movable in the casing substantiallyat right angles to the buttons and having on both sides or" a centralaperture notches engageable by the bolts for locking said catches, and arocker urged by spring means into the path of the catches for holdingthe buttons aligned when said catches are released from the tumblerplate and rocker while permitting disalignment of the buttons when thecatches engaged said rocker and are locked by said tumbler plate.

8. A permutation lock comprising a ported casing having aligned slots,buttons movable along the respective slots and having offset boltsextending into the casing, an indented plate adjustable in the casingfor retaining or releas ing the buttons depending on its adjustment, acover fitting over the casing and having slots coincident with thebuttons, catches on said cover insertable into the ports of the casing,a spring-urged tumbler plate engageable by the bolts to lock saidcatches, a crenellated plate interposed between the indented plate andtumbler plate for guiding the button bolts, said crenellated plate beingthinner than the clearance beween the indented plate and the tumblerplate, blade springs resting on the crenellated plate and straddling therespective buttons, and a spring-urged rocker holding the buttonsaligned when the catches are released from the rocker and tumbler platewhile permitting disalignment of the buttons when the catches engage thetumbler plate and rocker.

9. A permutation look comprising a ported casing having aligned slots,buttons movable along the respective slots, each button having a headprojecting out of the casing, symmetrical ears and a bolt offset fromits centre, the ears and bolt extending into the casing and beingco-planar with the head, an indented plate adjustable from without thecasing and co-operating with the button ears to retain them in oneposition of adjustment and to release them in another position ofadjustment, a cover fitting over the casing and having slots receivingthe button heads, catches on said cover insertable into the ports of thecasing, a spring-urged tumbler plate movable in the casing substantiallyat right angles to the buttons and having on both side edges of acentral aperture trapezoidal notches engageable by the bolts for beingheld thereby and locking said catches, and a plane rocker urged byspring means into the path of the catches for holding the buttonsaligned when the catches are freed from the rocker and tumbler platewhile permitting selective disalignment of the buttons when the catchesare in engagement with the tumbler plate and rocker.

10. A permutation lock for locking together a movable part and astationary part such as the flap and body of a portfolio, comprising atrough-like casing secured peripherally to one of said parts and havingone wall formed with ports and with parallel aligned slots, buttonsmovable along the respective slots and having bolts offset from theircentres and extending into the casing, adjustable means holding thebuttons engaged in the casing in one adjusted position and releasingthem in another adjusted position, a cover secured peripherally to theother of said parts and having slots coincident with the buttons,catches on said cover insertable into the ports of the casing, aspring-urged tumbler plate movable in the casing at an angle to thebuttons and engageable by the bolts for locking said catches,,and aspring-urged rocker holding the buttons aligned when the catches arereleased from the rocker and tumbler plate while permitting disalignmentof selective buttons when the catches engage the rocker and tumblerplate.

11. A permutation lock comprising a ported casing having aligned slots,eared buttons movable along the respective slots, each button projectingout of the casing and carrying an inner bolt ofiset from its centre, anadjustable indented plate holding the buttons engaged in the casing inone adjusted position and releasing them in another adjusted position soas to permit selected buttons to be extracted from and re-inserted intothe casing after a rotation of 180 to form a new combination, a slottedcover fitting over the casing and having studcatches insertable into thecasing ports, a springurged tumbler plate movable in the casing at anangle to the buttons and having notches engageable by the bolts forlocking said catches when all buttons are aligned but disengaged by saidbolts when buttons adjusted to form the combination are disaligned, anda spring-urged rocker holding the buttons aligned when the catches arefreed from the rocker and tumbler plate while permitting selectivedisalignment of the buttons when the catches are engaged by the tumblerplate and rocker.

MAURICE ZUILI.

